There's big news for XRP holders — the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has officially announced it will launch XRP futures contracts starting May 19th. These new futures will be available in both large and micro-sized contracts, giving traders more flexibility and precision in managing their exposure to XRP.

This move is a huge milestone for XRP, as the CME is considered one of the most trusted and regulated futures exchanges in the world. While XRP futures have already been launched on platforms like Coinbase and Bitnomial, those are relatively small players compared to the CME.

Many experts believe this development is a key step toward the long-awaited approval of an XRP Spot ETF. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) often looks to the CME as a gold standard when considering futures markets, and having XRP futures listed there strengthens the case for an ETF.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse also reacted to the announcement, calling it “an incredibly important and exciting step in the continued growth of the XRP market”, though he admitted it was long overdue.

Looking ahead, there’s growing speculation that the SEC could approve not only an XRP Spot ETF but possibly a Solana ETF and others by later this year. With Paul Atkins recently sworn in as SEC Chair and a noticeably more pro-crypto stance from the agency, analysts believe there’s a high chance of ETF approvals by Q2 or Q3 2025.

If these ETFs get the green light, it could mark a major turning point for XRP’s market growth and wider adoption.